Is Musk creating a competitor to Telegram? X is testing the XChat messenger
X has begun beta testing a new feature — direct messaging called XChat.
X has begun beta testing a new feature — direct messaging called XChat.
Some paid X users have already gained access to XChat, and application researcher Nima Ouji told TechCrunch that the new messaging system appears to be ready to launch.
XChat is designed to be a more robust version of X's existing direct messaging (DM) feature.
Some of XChat's rumored features could include group messaging, end-to-end encryption, disappearing mode, the ability to mark messages as unread, and file sharing. Messages also appear to be protected by a four-digit passcode.
On Thursday, X announced that it was pausing work on its encrypted direct messaging feature, which could be tied to an upcoming release of XChat, as the new system would make the existing direct messaging interface obsolete. Paid X subscribers had access to a limited version of encrypted messaging for two years.
In the years since his Twitter acquisition, Musk has repeatedly spoken about his ambitions to create a messaging service similar to Signal built into X. If XChat is indeed preparing for public use, then this news could be Musk's step towards achieving that goal.
Elon Musk's company xAI invests $300 million in Telegram and integrates its AI chatbot Grok into the platform
Elon Musk's company xAI invests $300 million in Telegram and integrates its AI chatbot Grok into the platform
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